ESS Topics 1-3 Review

Which statement best exemplifies an ecocentric viewpoint?

• Humans should manage natural resources for sustainable use

• Technological advancements will solve our environmental problems

• All living organisms have intrinsic value and the right to exist

• Human population growth is the primary driver of environmental degradation

A system that exchanges energy but not matter with its surroundings is classified as:

• open

• closed

• isolated

• steady-state

Which of the following is the best example of a positive feedback loop in an environmental system?

• Increased carbon dioxide in the atmosphere leading to increased plant growth

• Predator-prey relationships regulating population sizes

• Melting permafrost releasing methane, which further increases global temperatures

• Increased water vapor in the atmosphere leading to increased cloud cover, which reflects solar radiation

Consider a food web. Which of the following changes would most likely have the greatest impact on the stability of the ecosystem?

• A decrease in the population of a tertiary consumer

• An increase in the population of a primary consumer

• The removal of a keystone species

• A slight reduction in solar radiation

Which statement accurately describes the Second Law of Thermodynamics in the context of energy flow through an ecosystem?

• Energy is created and destroyed as it moves through trophic levels

• Energy transformations are 100% efficient, with no loss of heat

• Energy is neither created nor destroyed, but it is converted from one form to another, and some is lost as heat

• The total amount of energy in an ecosystem remains constant, regardless of trophic level

Gross Primary Productivity (GPP) is the total amount of energy fixed by plants through photosynthesis. Net Primary Productivity (NPP) is GPP minus the energy used by plants for respiration. Which of the following statements is correct?

• NPP is always greater than GPP

• NPP is the energy available to the next trophic level

• GPP represents the energy stored in plant biomass

• Respiration by plants does not affect GPP

Which of the following factors contributes most significantly to the loss of biodiversity globally?

• Natural disasters

• Habitat destruction and fragmentation

• Decreased levels of atmospheric CO2

• Increased genetic diversity within species

A species that plays a critical role in maintaining the structure of a community and whose impact is disproportionately large relative to its abundance is known as a/an

• indicator species

• flagship species

• endemic

• keystone species

Which of the following is a key difference between in situ and ex situ conservation?

• In situ conservation focuses on preserving species in their natural habitat, while ex situ conservation involves preserving species in artificial environments

• In situ conservation is generally more expensive than ex situ conservation

• Ex situ conservation is always more effective than in situ conservation

• In situ conservation involves preserving genetic diversity, while ex situ conservation focuses on preserving species richness

Ricky noticed that the loca rabbit population was rapidly increasing, creating a J-curve growth pattern. Which of the following factors is LEAST likely to slow the population growth as it reaches carrying capacity?

• climate/weather

• inter- and intra-specific competition

• parasitism and disease

• territorial competition for breeding sites